


Puzzle Pieces

by bby_ungjae



Category: IMFACT (Band)
Genre: College, M/M, kpop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-16
Updated: 2018-01-16
Packaged: 2019-03-05 13:04:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13388400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bby_ungjae/pseuds/bby_ungjae
Summary: in which Taeho's boyfriends fall in love with each other instead





	Puzzle Pieces

**Author's Note:**

> also posted on Wattpad
> 
> with help from my friend Fatima <3 twt: @bbyboyjian

Ungjae took one last look at himself in the mirror, searching for any minor blemish that could ruin his face. Any smudge of dirt on his shoes, any stain on his clothing. It wasn't like he was going anywhere fancy. He was only wearing a t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers, going out for a day at the park. But for Taeho, he always wanted to look clean, perfect, beautiful. To him, Taeho was so special. Nothing in the world meant more than Taeho. He knew he couldn't be the perfect boyfriend, but he tried anyway. If anything, maybe his careful ways could make up for the imperfections in his personality.

He checked the time on his phone. If he left now, he'd reach the spot very early. But he had nothing to do during his time just waiting. He could only think of his date with Taeho, nothing else seemed to matter.

They had only been dating for a year, but Ungjae couldn't imagine his life without him. He had started dating him while he was in his last year of high school, and Taeho was a college student. He got into the same university as him. He even got the same job as him, even though Taeho eventually resigned from it. He learned to cook all his favorite foods, although he wasn't the best chef. He tried his best, though. Anything for Taeho's happiness.

There was one thing he never did with Taeho. He never walked him home.

Taeho didn't like it. He said he was too ashamed to show him his apartment after coming to Ungjae's. Ungjae insisted that he didn't care what it looked like, though, because it was Taeho's, and that makes it special.

"Maybe, since it's been a year..." Ungjae texted his boyfriend excitedly.  _Happy anniversary, baby._   _Should I pick you up today?_  He smiled brightly at the thought of it. It was only a small move, but a gentlemanly move nonetheless. He knew he'd have to do it at some point.

Ungjae waited a few minutes, smiling warmly when he heard his phone ding with Taeho's reply.

_Ah,_ _Ungjae_ _._ _I just woke up. You're really excited, huh?_

_Of course I am. Today is special._

_I don't need you to pick me up though. You should have gotten a little extra sleep, don't lose sleep over me._

Ungjae blushed at Taeho's words. 'He's so caring...'

_I don't mind waking a bit early, and I don't mind picking you up. Just send your address._

_No, it's fine really. I'm up, I'm gonna get dressed, we can meet up early. Just make your way down to the park, okay? I'll see you there._

Ungjae sighed. Maybe he'd walk him home instead. He just felt so weird he would go everywhere with Taeho but his own home.

An hour later, Ungjae was sitting on a park bench waiting for his boyfriend. He hadn't seen him for a week, and today being special, he was extra antsy. He brought a sweater since the weather was a little chilly, but he didn't wear it. Knowing how Taeho was, he'd probably complain about the cold after a while and Ungjae wanted to make sure he could provide for him if he was unprepared.

Fidgeting, Ungjae looked around, a little impatient. He had a present for his boyfriend, and he couldn't wait to show it to him.

'I hope he'll love it...'

Suddenly, the sound of a taxi rolling to the curb in front of Ungjae broke his trance. He stood quickly, and his heart stopped.

"Taeho..." he smiled.

As always, he looked like an angel. There seemed to be an aura around him, he could brighten up any place he went. Everything about him seemed so delicate, so lovely, giving Ungjae the feeling that he should protect him no matter what.

Ungjae made his way over to his boyfriend with a wide smile. He couldn't hold in his excitement any longer and immediately handed him the gift.

"Ungjae~ah..." 

Ungjae motioned for him to open the gift. So they walked back over to the bench to sit down.

"Should I open it now?"

Ungjae nodded excitedly. He watched closely as his boyfriend took the box out of the bag and carefully opened it. It was a fluffy stuffed tiger toy.

"It's cute," Taeho hugged it and smiled bright at Ungjae. "Thank you so much!"

Ungjae smiled shyly, relieved that Taeho liked the gift. He stood and took Taeho's hand.

"I have a gift for you as well," Taeho said. "I made reservations at that French restaurant you wanted to visit. It was a bit pricey, but since today is special, I thought I'd treat you."

"Ah, Taeho," Ungjae started, but his boyfriend silenced him with a kiss. "No need to thank me. Let's go."

***

Sang walked into the apartment, yelling "I'm home!" then remembered. "Ah, he said he'd be out today."

He took off his shoes before entering and laid his bag on the floor by the couch, making his way to the kitchen. He looked around to see if there was anything for dinner, then remembered he was supposed to go out grocery shopping earlier.

"Ah, I don't feel like it now..." He settled for an apple and peanut butter and plopped on the couch to watch some tv.  Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Ugh, just when I was getting comfortable." He stood up and opened it to see the landlord.

"Ah... hi, sir."

"You haven't paid your rent," the man said bluntly.

"Really? My, uh... roommate said he paid it?"

The landlord raised an eyebrow. "Don't you think I'd know?"

Sang sighed. He walked over to his bag and pulled out the checkbook and wrote it out to the landlord. "Here you go, sir." He handed it to the man who nodded and walked away without another word.

Sang closed the door and sighed heavily. The landlord was kind of scary and super strict. If they didn't pay, they could get evicted in a heartbeat. Sang couldn't balance that kind of stress with the stress of college.

"I wonder how Taeho is." Sang sighed, but he didn't want to bother him. He was told he was going out to greet an old friend he hadn't seen in a while. Though he was a little jealous, he knew it was important to him. He couldn't cling onto him all the time. Still, he seemed a little too excited. Was he an ex? Sang shook his head. Of course he'd be excited to meet someone he hadn't seen for years. "I'll just be happy for him."

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of keys outside the door. A little too excitedly, Sang ran over to open it.

"Sang, you didn't have to," Taeho laughed, walking inside.

"How was it?" He looked out, disappointed. "Where is he?" He closed the door and kissed Taeho on the cheek.

"It was fun. We went to the museum, then we went out to eat. He was tired and has to fly out early in the morning, so he couldn't visit. I would have loved for you to meet him though."

Sang smiled seeing Taeho talk happily this way.

"Stop staring, you creep." Taeho hit him on the arm playfully and tried to walk away, but Sang grabbed him by the waist and pulled him into a back hug.

"I missed you," He burried his face into Taeho's neck.

"You always miss me," Taeho pried his hands off of him. "I'm sleepy, I just want to take a hot shower and go to bed."

"Can I join you?"

"No!" Taeho yelled from the bedroom.

Sang laughed and went back to sit on the couch to finish his snack.

Taeho came back quietly and stood behind Sang, slightly startling him. With a laugh, he asked, "Did you get the groceries?"

"I forgot," Sang said, to which Taeho hit him on the arm again. "Hey, you can't get mad at me, you were supposed to pay the rent!"

Taeho gasped. "Oh my gosh, I forgot! Did the landlord come by?"

"Yeah, he did, but I paid it, don't worry."

Taeho smiled. "Thank you, Sang."

Sang tried to keep a straight face, but he couldn't with Taeho looking at him so cutely. "Yeah, whatever."

Taeho laughed and kissed Sang before walking away. "Goodnight, babe."

"Sleep well," Sang replied.

***

Ungjae looked through his phone at all the pictures he took while laying in bed. Recalling their day together, he remembered while Taeho went to the restroom during their visit to the museum, an envelope had fallen out of his bag.

Ungjae felt bad, but he couldn't help himself. He finally knew his address! He had to take a picture, and it was a good thing he did because Taeho eventually mailed it before they went to dinner.

What would he do with this information? He didn't want to make Taeho upset, since he hadn't given it to him voluntarily.

"Maybe I'll send him a letter? A gift? Or... maybe I should surprise him?" He didn't want to seem creepy, but still. Ungjae had a right to know, right? It irked him that Taeho would find any excuse not to give it to him. What was he so afraid of?

Ungjae locked his phone and laid down to sleep. "I'll go up there myself. I'll surprise him."

***

The next day, Sang walked into the apartment immediately after classes, planning to nap for half an hour before going to work. He looked at his phone sadly. That day, Taeho had an afternoon class, so he wouldn't see him.

He hardly saw him outside their apartment. As they both majored in different things (Taeho in culinary arts and Sang in acting), they never ran into each other on campus anymore. They met each other during the first year, while taking core classes, but as the classes began to be specified to their major, they would see each other less. They were on different sides of the campus. They only saw each other at their apartment. And for the past year, Taeho wasn't always there, he had taken on more classes and a demanding job. No wonder Sang always missed him.

Laying on the couch, Sang couldn't seem to nap no matter how tired he was. He was too sad thinking about his boyfriend.

To his surprise, he walked through the door. "Hey, Sang are you here?"

Sang sat up. "Yeah, hey!"

Taeho walked in and sat next to Sang. "The professor was absent so class was cancelled."

Sang attacked Taeho with kisses and hugged him tightly. "I was just about to take a nap before going to work."

"Okay, I'll stop bothering you then." Taeho got up to leave but Sang pulled him back down.

"Cuddle with me," Sang said, and they laid back down on the couch. "I hardly see you nowadays."

"I'm sorry, Sang. I'm just so busy."

"I understand," Sang sighed. He closed his eyes. "Wake me up in twenty?"

"Okay," Taeho replied.

***

After class, Ungjae went to the store to buy some flowers and a card for Taeho. He knew he'd make him upset, but maybe the note would make it better?

Nervously, he walked into the lobby of the apartment and slowly made his way to the elevator. He took a deep breath. "Come on, Ungjae, you can do it." With a a shaky hand, he reached out to press the button for the elevator, but it opened before him.

Ungjae stood in disbelief. His jaw dropped seeing Taeho's arm linked with that of another man, who had just kissed him on the cheek, laughing together as if it was normal, something natural for them.

"T-Taeho... who is he?"

For a second, they all stared at each other. The air felt thick. Ungjae felt suffocated and very lightheaded. If that wasn't bad enough, the way Taeho talked to him felt even worse.

"I'm confused... Taeho, you know him?" Sang looked at him curiously.

Taeho shrugged. "Someone who goes to our school. He's not important. Let's go." He glared hard at Ungjae before walking past him.

_Not important..._

Ungjae ran and stood in front of Taeho. "Not important? I'm not important? After a whole year, I'm suddenly not important? You even spent who knows how much money on that dinner last night, yet I'm not important, huh?"

"Ungjae, stop this!" Taeho exclaimed, then tugged on Sang's arm to go, but he wouldn't budge.

"What the hell is going on?" Sang exclaimed, pulling his arm out of Taeho's grasp.

"We'll talk about it later," Taeho said, but Sang refused. "No, I want to know now." He turned to Ungjae. "Who are you and what is going on?"

Ungjae, livid, walked up to Sang until their faces were inches apart. "I'm Ungjae, Taeho's boyfriend. Who the hell are you?"

"Boyfriend? I'm Taeho's boyfriend!" Sang scoffed. "So I don't understand what you're saying."

Ungjae looked down, then at Taeho. "You lied to me."

Taeho looked around nervously. "Come on Ungjae, don't do this right now,"

"You lied to me!" Ungjae threw the flowers he was holding at Taeho, taking him aback. Taeho never saw him so upset before, especially at him. Ungjae then glared at Sang before running out the building.

Sang looked at Taeho, confused. "So... He was who you saw last night..."

Taeho looked down, ashamed. "Sang, hurry, you have to get to work-"

"No, it's okay. I'll call in sick. This is a priority, Taeho. We need to talk."

Taeho closed his eyes and sighed. He never thought of how he'd have to deal with this, and he didn't want to but there was no getting out of it.

***

Although he didn't want to, Ungjae decided to go to class the next day. Music was his life (and his major) and it always helped him through hard times. This day, however, nothing seemed to comfort him. And how could it when everything he worked for, he lived for... was taken away from him?

Looking for some place quiet, he walked halfway across the campus for lunch. He sat next to a fountain and took out his food, but he only stared at it. He had no appetite.

He covered his face with his hands and sobbed.  _Taeho_ _... lied to me. He never loved me... He told me I was the only person for him, but it wasn't true._

"Yah," Someone called behind him. Immediately, the boy wiped his tears away and sat up. He didn't know anyone was around. He also didn't know that person was calling for him.

"Hey," the person called. Ungjae heard their footsteps come closer to him. "It's Ungjae, right?"

The sad boy looked up. It was Sang.

"What are you doing here?" Ungjae glared.

Sang scoffed. "I just got out of class. I go to school here."

Ungjae looked at the other in disgust. "Why are you talking to me?"

Sang sighed. He shouldn't have been sarcastic, knowing how Ungjae was feeling. After all, they were in the same boat. Speaking softly, he replied, "I heard you crying, so I couldn't help but come over."

Ungjae rose an eyebrow. "Why is that?"

Sang looked at Ungjae as if he should have already known why. "I... I wanted to comfort you..."

Ungjae looked away as if in thought. "Why?"

Sang scoffed again.  _What's with all the 'why's?_  "Well I don't want you to be so sad. I know we just met but it hurt me a lot. Besides, I understand your pain. So I thought maybe we could talk?"

Ungjae sighed. "Why should I want to talk with you?"

"Well... we're in the same situation. We understand each other. So maybe it would be a little comforting to talk it out."

Ungjae didn't like this idea at all. Looking at Sang made him upset. But Sang seemed too kind and he began to feel bad for his behavior. He nodded. "Okay. Let's talk then."

Sang huffed. How should he begin? "When did you meet Taeho?"

"About a year ago. I met him at a concert. What about you?"

"Ah... over two years ago? In a math class."

Ungjae suddenly felt bad for acting disgusting towards Sang. After all... he was the problem in the relationship, right? He was the 'home wrecker.'

"I'm sorry... I guess I ruined such a good relationship for you..."

Sang shook his head, "No, no, don't blame yourself. It's not your fault, you didn't know."

Ungjae stared at his lunch, embarrassed for talking to this man. "Did Taeho tell you something last night? About some stupid movie?"

"Yeah, actually. The Spike Lee movie, about the girl with all the boyfriends?"

Ungjae nodded. "Yeah, saying each one had a different quality that she liked. Because she couldn't find one perfect man." Ungjae shook his head disapproving. "That's bullshit."

"Yeah we actually watched that movie together. I didn't know it would give him any ideas."

"I tried to be perfect... to do everything right... just for Taeho..." Ungjae finally looked at Sang. "I gave my life to him but apparently it wasn't enough."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Sang looked at his sad reflection in the water.

"I will never understand that stupid movie analogy."

Sang tried to think of something to say. "Well... there's always someone in the world for us that can make us whole, ya know? It's like... a puzzle. A quality that you don't have, something you always long for, you'd usually find it in someone else and make you fall for them. For Taeho, like the girl in the movie, maybe he didn't know a single person who could... make him whole. Like when you try to fit pieces together that look like they fit but they don't."

Ungjae stared at Sang, dumbfounded. "That's such a complicated analogy."

"Well, did it make sense?"

Ungjae shrugged. "Sure, whatever. Um... are you guys still together?"

Sang shook his head. "Of course not. Actually, he's moving out today. Apparently he already found some place to stay."

Ungjae looked at Sang carefully. Sang tried to play it like he was understanding and quickly forgiving, like he was okay, but he could tell he hadn't even had the chance to mourn yet. It was like he was holding in all his pain, careful not to show it for fear of appearing weak. Ungjae put a hand on his shoulder. It was his turn to comfort Sang.

"It seems so hard, but we can get through this. We just have to stay strong." He said weakly, he couldn't really believe in what he said himself.

Sang nodded with a sad smile. "Well... I should get going now."

"Okay... um, would you like my lunch? I don't have much of an appetite."

"Hmm... me neither, sorry."

They both waved at each other and parted.

***

A week went by, Sang was able to adapt to his apartment being empty and having to take care of everything himself, reminding himself to shop or pay the rent. Still, he missed having someone to come home to- or rather, waiting for that person. He missed Taeho's warmth, his smile, his cuddles, his kisses, his voice. But he knew it was best for the both of them if they were apart. After all, he wasn't enough for Taeho, it seemed.

Ungjae fell into a depression. He had grown so accustomed to being Taeho's everything- well, at least trying. He couldn't believe his all was not enough. He didn't know what to do with himself anymore. His purpose for life, his happiness, was taken away from him.

Sang and Ungjae hadn't talked since their encounter during lunch but Sang would secretly check in on him. Ungjae didn't know this. Seeing how upset Ungjae had gotten, he couldn't help but wonder. Sang wanted to know if Ungjae was getting better, like maybe he was, but it was obvious he wasn't because he eventually stopped going to school.

Sang asked a classmate of his about his job. Sang decided to go there. But when he went there, he was told that he stopped coming there too.

"I know this isn't something I should be asking, but this is really important. Do you know where he lives?"

Ungjae's coworker fidgeted nervously. "Well... you're right, I shouldn't be handing out this information to you. But you seem worried about him, as I am myself." She wrote the address down and handed to Sang. "I hope he's okay."

"Yeah, me too. Thank you." And off to Ungjae's he went.

He arrived at the apartment complex, walking slowly inside, looking at each door for the number. When he found Ungjae's, he knocked on the door.

"Go away," was the immediate response.

"Ungjae, this is important."

"Who is this?" Ungjae opened the door. "What are you doing here?"

"I... I came to see how you're doing. Everyone's worried about you."

Ungjae rose an eyebrow. "Who's that?"

"Your professors, coworkers..."

"You went to my job?"

Sang sighed. "Ungjae, please. Can I come in?"

Ungjae pursed his lips and nodded. Sang followed him inside. The apartment was slightly messy, but for the most part it was fine. The problem was Ungjae. His hair was an oily mess and he definitely didn't smell... like flowers. He was too upset to even care about his hygiene. And he looked exhausted and may have even lost weight.

"I'm fine, there's no need to worry about me," He slumped onto the couch and stretched.

"Well, I just needed to check for myself," Sang looked around, unconvinced.

"Why you of all people?"

"What do you mean?"

Ungjae sat up and pondered a bit. "You... you should hate me. But instead, you're in my home claiming that you're worried about me. Why?"

Sang looked down awkwardly. Did it really seem that weird? "I guess... I was just curious..." Embarrassed, he stood up to leave.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"Ah... I thought I'd get out of your hair now that I've seen you. Good night," Sang bowed and walked to the door, but Ungjae called out to him.

"Wait, Sang... I'm sorry, I didn't want to rush you out. Can you stay for a bit?"

Sang turned and looked at the boy. His heart broke, Ungjae looked desperate for company. "Of course, I'll stay for a while." He returned to his seat.

Ungjae faced him and took a deep breath. "Can I... be completely honest with you? I just need to vent."

Sang smiled reassuringly. "I'm all ears."

Ungjae grabbed a pillow to hold onto and looked down. He felt silly, before he had a chance to speak his eyes were filled with tears and his throat locked up. "I feel like... I lost my purpose for living. Even if it was only for a year, it was the best year of my life. He was the greatest thing that ever happened to me. Everything I did was for Taeho. I just wanted to be perfect for him, and I couldn't. I was always messing up."

Sang tilted his head. "Nothing is perfect in this world, Ungjae."

Ungjae closed his eyes. "Taeho was..." he whispered.

On the one hand, Sang felt disappointed at Ungjae. He was so whipped for Taeho that he couldn't even function without him. On the other hand, however, he completely understood. Taeho did seem pretty damn close to perfect.

"What was your purpose for living at first? Before Taeho?" Sang asked curiously.

Ungjae bit his lip, in thought. "Music. I always lived for music."

"Has that changed?"

Ungjae slowly shook his head. "No... not really. It's my major after all."

Sang smiled. "Then we have to get you back to school so you can do what you love, right?"

Ungjae sighed. "I guess so." He sat silently, thinking maybe it would help him. "What about you? What do you like?"

"I'm an actor." Sang said. "Well, I'm not popular, I have only been in small rolls in the school plays, but that's my dream."

"That's so cool," Ungjae replied.

"Thanks." Sang smiled.

They sat in silence for a while before Sang spoke up again, "What kind of music do you like?"

"Hmm... hip hop, pop... anything, to be honest."

"Me too! I like r&b as well."

"Ah, that's cool."

They sat there silently again. Sang wasn't sure what to say, since he had only stayed because Ungjae asked him to. He didn't want to be rude and leave too quickly. But Ungjae stood up. "Thank you for coming over. I actually feel a little better. But I'm sleepy and... I want to get to class on time tomorrow."

Sang rose from his seat. "Um, if you ever need to talk again, just call me, okay?"

Ungjae nodded and Sang left.

Once Sang was downstairs, he realized he forgot to give Ungjae his number. "Ah.. he probably doesn't want to be bothered with me anyways."

***

A couple days later, during lunch, Ungjae walked to the fountain to eat. As he hoped, he saw Sang walk out of one of the buildings a few minutes later.

"Sang!" Ungjae called and motioned for him to come over.

"Ungjae," Sang was taken aback, but he came and sat next to the boy. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, except you never gave me your number. That wasn't a very smart offer, ya know."

Sang laughed, embarrassed. "I'm sorry. Here, give me your phone." He entered the number into Ungjae's phone and handed it back to him. "There you go."

Sang stood up to go but the younger spoke up, "Wait, Sang. Um... you've been so kind to me, despite my behavior. And you even put up with me even though I messed up your relationship..."

Sang shook his head. "No, no, stop blaming yourself Ungjae. Besides, it's nothing. It's like... therapy for me."

Ungjae nodded. "Well... nonetheless, I want to thank you, but just saying that isn't enough. Would you like to go out to lunch sometime? My treat."

"Ungjae," Sang laughed. "It's okay, really. I don't need anything, really..."

"Please?" Ungjae looked at him with puppy eyes, and Sang immediately felt soft.

"Well, if you insist. I'd love to."

"Cool. Um, any day in particular?"

"Well, I don't have any afternoon classes."

Ungjae nodded. "My next class isn't until a couple of hours. You wanna go now?"

"Yeah, sure." Sang smiled.

Ungjae stood up excitedly. "Let's go then."

After lunch, Sang decided to walk Ungjae back to the college for his last class of the day. It was the first time he really got to see Ungjae open and talk about himself,  _himself_ and not Taeho. His love of music, nature, animals. How much he missed his family, who lived in a different city, and how he would love to travel Europe one day.

He seemed so pure, it made Sang's heart melt.

During their walk back, Ungjae apologized.

"You're always sorry," Sang laughed. "what are you apologizing for now?"

Ungjae pouted. "I talked so much, I didn't really get to learn about you all day."

 _He is so cute_ , Sang thought, and he scrunched his nose at the thought. "It's okay, really, I liked learning about you. Besides, today was the first time I got to see you smile."

Ungjae looked at Sang, blushing, and looked away. "Ah... really?"

"Mmhmm." Sang pat Ungjae on the head like a puppy. "Today was fun. Thank you."

Ungjae smiled shyly and nodded. "Thank you for coming. I appreciate it."

Once they reached the campus, they waved and parted ways. Ungjae continued to walk to the building his class took place in while thinking of the event with a smile. Sang seemed so caring, listening to everything he had to say without getting bored. He seemed generally entertained, interested. To be honest, Ungjae couldn't remember the last time he was able to freely talk about his passions without worrying if the other person would grow bored. He was glad to have a friend like Sang.

***

Weeks passed and Ungjae and Sang eventually became close friends. Despite them not seeing each other in the morning due to totally different courses, they were practically attached. They were very supportive of each other's interests. Sang would listen to Ungjae's music and Ungjae would help Sang practice lines and give him critiques on his acting. They also tried everything new together, a special food on a menu at McDonald's or a new exhibit at the museum.

Tonight, Sang called and invited Ungjae over to dinner. "I'm not the best chef," he warned. "But I'll try my best."

"I'm sure it'll be delicious," Ungjae responded. "I'm on my way."

All Sang prepared was some chicken alfredo with ceasar salad and garlic toast. It didn't seem too fancy, but it was more than his usual ramen.

As he set the table, he heard a knock on the door. He panicked, checking if everything was tidy, the stove was turned off, all the silverware was set, if his hair looked alright... not that it mattered, it was only Ungjae. Sang shook his head and made his way to the door.

To his surprise, Ungjae was dressed pretty nice, wearing a button up shirt and navy pants. He had even brought a gift. Sang felt underdressed, as he hadn't thought of the dinner as something that should be so elaborate.

"Ah... am I overdressed?" Ungjae blushed seeing Sang who was dressed more casual.

Shaking his head, Sang replied, "No, you're fine. You look nice. Come in." Sang welcomed the boy and closed the door. "Maybe it looks a little differnet since you've last been here..."

"Well, it's actually my first time here. So I wouldn't notice any change," Ungjae laughed.

Sang was surprised. He was sure Ungjae had been there before, as they had first met down in the lobby, but he realized he was mistaken. He didn't want to drag it on, however. He led Ungjae to the table. "Please take a seat while I get the food." Ungjae nodded and took a seat. Sang came over and set before him a plate with the pasta, salad, and toast. "Sorry it's kinda crowding the plate, but I don't have enough dishes to serve it as different courses..."

Ungjae shook his head with a smile. "it's fine. It looks amazing."

Sang nodded, sitting down. He looked at Ungjae awkwardly, as if waiting for him to start eating.

"Oh," Ungjae laughed a little. "But first." He reached over the table to give Sang a small box, a gift.

"Ah, I can't take that, I don't like accepting gifts. I'm not really so good at giving them, so I'd rather not..."

"No, I insist. You don't have to pay me back. This is for everything you've done for me, I want to thank you."

Sang sighed and nodded. He couldn't keep rejecting it, knowing it would make Ungjae feel bad. So he took it and opened the box.

"Ah, a phone case!" Sang took it out and immediately put it on his phone. "It's so nice. I'll show it off to everyone. Thank you so much."

Ungjae blushed. "I couldn't think of something to give you while shopping... I was nervous you wouldn't like it, since it's not extraordinary..."

"No, it's fine! It's perfect, actually. Thank you so much." Sang reassured him. With a content smile, Ungjae started to eat the pasta.

"Wow, this is delicious," Ungjae's eyes widened.

"Really? You like it that much," Sang laughed, surprised at Ungjae's reaction.

The younger nodded. "It's amazing. I've had chicken alfredo a few times before, but this is perfect. There's a perfect balance of the sauce and pasta, and the amount of chicken is perfect. Also, not too salty."

Sang blushed. "Why, thank you." He decided to dig in himself.

***

"Thank you so much for the dinner," Ungjae said as he stood to leave. "It was amazing."

Sang shook his head humbly. "It was nothing. I'm glad you enjoyed it."

Ungjae stood in front of the door quietly, as if trying to think of something to say. "Um... spring break is coming up, and I wanted to travel. I was thinking maybe going to Jeju Island, Sokcho, maybe even Tokyo or Kyoto. I haven't decided where exactly yet, but would you like to come along?"

"Ah, I'm touched that you are inviting me, but I'm not sure if I can. My friends and I usually plan something for Spring break..."

Ungjae nodded, "It's okay, I understand." He smiled, but Sang noticed the sadness in his eyes. "I'll get going now. Good night."

"Good night, Ungjae."

***

After taking a shower, Ungjae fell straight into his bed, in his robe with a towel in his head, not even bothering to put on his clothes. He was thinking too much about what Sang said before he left.

"His friends... then what am I?" Ungjae knew Sang meant his other friends, the ones he'd known for much longer, but he couldn't help but grow jealous. "If I knew them, if I joined his 'clique," could I be considered one of his friends as well?" He scratched his head in frustration. "This is ridiculous. I shouldn't be worrying about this. We're already friends, right?" He turned off the light to go to sleep.

***

Sang went to campus early, as always, to greet his friend Jeup for breakfast. Jeup was doing last minute homework, to which Sang shook his head. "Why are you always procrastinating?"

"Shut up," Jeup immediately responded, not bothering to look up from his book.

"You have a test today, don't you?"

"Actually, no, not this time." his friend laughed.

"Wow, improvement," Sang put his bag on the table and immediately took out his phone.

After a few minutes, Jeup finished taking notes and closed his book. When he looked up, he noticed Sang smiling at his phone.

"New phone case?"

"Yeah, I got it from a friend."

Jeup leaned across the table. "A friend? Who might that person be?"

Sang looked at Jeup and put his phone away. "Why?"

"Were you just talking to them? Or staring at their picture? Whoever it is, I know you think of them as more than a friend."

Sang frowned, trying to hide his smile. "Don't be ridiculous, he's just a friend. I swear."

"Hey, there's nothing wrong if you like him. I think this is good for you. Who is it?"

"None of your business, go away," Sang rolled his eyes, but this only made Jeup more curious.

"I know you're dying to tell."

"I swear, I don't like him like that."

"Eyes don't lie, you know."

Sang bit his lip. Did he really look at his phone in that way? Now that Jeup had said something, Sang never admitted it to anyone, not even himself. Even if he was just looking at his picture. How could Jeup notice?

"Well... you're gonna get mad if I tell you..."

"Why would I? Just tell me already! I'm dying from suspense."

"Um... it's Ungjae."

"Ungjae? Wait, Taeho's boyfriend Ungjae?"

"Ex boyfriend, Jeup."

"Wow... I knew you guys became friends but I didn't know you were close like that."

Sang laid his head on his bag. "I haven't realized it until now, but I think I really like him..."

"No, Sang, this is taboo."

Sang frowned. "Why is that?"

"You're not gonna wanna hear this, but think about it, this guy kinda ruined your relationship with Taeho..."

Sang shook his head. "He's innocent, stop it. What happened was Taeho's fault. Besides, it doesn't matter anymore. It's not like I have any feelings left for Taeho. That part of my life is over."

Jeup rose his eyebrow. "Not completely... you both were dating the same guy. That's never gonna be over."

"That has nothing to do with anything," Sang defended. But then he paused. "Wait... do you think maybe Ungjae does?"

"Hmm? You mean still have feelings for Taeho?" Sang nodded. "It's a possibility... but of course, you know him better than I do."

"He didn't seem to get over the break up so well... I still get worried about him. He still seems a bit depressed, even though he tries to hide it." Sang rubbed his face in frustration. "Maybe you're right. Bad idea. I shouldn't like him..."

Jeup pursed his lips in thought. "Ah, don't listen to me, I don't know anything. Besides, you can't control how you feel. You should ask him."

"Ahh, that's so scary," Sang laid his head on the table.

"Okay, well, at least ask him how he feels about Taeho. It wouldn't be good for either of you if he still has feelings for him."

Sang lifted his head and sighed. "Yeah, you're right. I'll ask him. I just feel awkward bringing it up because we never talk about it anymore."

"Yeah, I understand."

Sang stood up so he could head to class. "By the way, whatever plans you guys have for break, I can't come along. I'm gonna travel with him."

"Lucky, I want to travel too!" Jeup laughed. "I'll tell the others. See you later!"

Sang waved goodbye and went to class.

***

"Hey, Ungjae!" Sang called out and ran over to the boy, sitting by the fountain as usual. "You wanna go to the park for lunch?"

"Sure!" Ungjae stood up and put his lunch back into the box. "Let's go."

On their way over, Ungjae looked at Sang closely. Something seemed to be bothering him, but he was too nervous to ask about it.

"How were your classes?"

"Ah, they were good. My teacher wants me to perform in the play before break. I'm probably not gonna get a big roll, but he begged me to, so I figure I'll get a good grade in the class if I do," Sang laughed.

"I think you'll get a bigger role this time. You've improved a lot. I believe in you."

Sang smiled and hugged Ungjae, which made him nervous. "Thank you so much. How about you, how was your day?"

"Well, speaking of a play, I might be writing the music score."

"Wow, really?"

"Well, everyone in class is participating, and the teacher will decide which pieces will fit best in the show. So I'll try my best to get my music on your show."

They smiled at each other, then fell silent again.

Ungjae looked at the ground as he walked. He still felt a little upset about Sang turning down his offer to travel with him, but it wasn't something he should be bothered by. His original plan was to go alone, but as him and Sang grew closer, he wanted him to come along.

When they reached the park, they laid their jackets on the ground as a substitute for blankets and laid their food out.

After a few minutes, Sang spoke up. "Ungjae... this may be a weird question, but have you been dating anyone recently?"

Ungjae looked up, taken aback by the question. "No. I'm not really the kind of person who goes out looking for someone, believe it or not," He laughed. "If I like someone, I'll go out with them. But I won't go searching for a boy- or girlfriend, to be honest."

Sang nodded. "So it's not because of anything holding you back."

Ungjae shook his head. "Nothing except that being single is actually really nice. I like being free, you know."

At that statement, Sang felt a pain in his chest. So there was no use in having feelings for Ungjae, he wouldn't want to take away his freedom.

"Now that I think about it though..." Ungjae continued. "We're going out so much, it's almost like we're dating." Then he immediately turned red. "I can't believe I just said that. I'm so sorry!" He looked down, ashamed, and began to stuff his face with rice.

Sang began to laugh. "Na Ungjae, you are so cute!" He couldn't control it, he couldn't stop laughing at Ungjae's reaction.

"Sang, you aren't helping..." Ungjae said through the food in his mouth. Sang reached over to pat Ungjae on the head. "I'm sorry for laughing."

"What about you?" Ungjae still couldn't look at him.

"No, I haven't been dating anyone. I haven't been thinking about it since we're hanging out all the time now."

If it was possible, Ungjae blushed an even deeper red. It felt too much like he was dating Sang, now that he thought about it... and it made him kind of uncomfortable, since they were just friends.

"Why did you even ask?"

"Hm..." Sang looked up as if in thought. "Well, you have such a nice personality, a kind heart, and you're very attractive so I thought you'd have new man by now. Or girl, of course."

"I don't go with just any person who likes me, ya know." Ungjae shook his head. "I want to know them well first."

"Ah, by the way... if the offer is still open, I'd like to go with you on your trip... during spring break."

Even though Ungjae had just felt uncomfortable thinking about all the time he'd been spending with Sang, he didn't really mind it. He liked Sang a lot. Even if it was only a few months, they had become really close, and he felt like he never opened up to anyone how he had with Sang. Besides, it was better to experience all his adventures with him than to just tell him about it.

"Of course you can. Where would you like to go?"

"Well... I would really like to go to Tokyo, but I don't know how much that will cost..."

"Don't worry about it. I'll pay for tickets and everything, you just need to bring spending money."

"I can't do that,"

Ungjae held up his hand. "No really, I am able to. I invited you, so it's the only right thing to do."

Sang just nodded slowly. It felt weird to him but he wouldn't argue, since Ungjae was so insistent.

***

A few weeks later, school got very busy for everyone. Ungjae and Sang would contact each other pretty regularly, but with the rush for end of year activities and exams, they even became too busy to hangout. Although they both ended up working on the play, their roles were very different so they still weren't able to cross paths. Not until rehearsals began.

Rather than a small role, Sang got the part of a supporting character. And, being the music prodigy he is, Ungjae's compositions made up the majority of the play. So he ended up being in charge of audio and SFX.

Ungjae sat in the control room alone after being told how to use certain switches and buttons for the sound. Before rehearsal, he would have to memorize the ways to play each sound and remember when to play them. But he needed the script.

"Hey," someone said behind Ungjae, startling him. It was Sang.

"Yo, it's been forever," Ungjae stood to greet him. "What's up?"

"Ah, just came to give you this," he held out the script.

"Oh, of course," Ungjae took it. "Um... congrats on your role."

"Congrats to you too. You have a very important job, but I trust you will do well."

"Well, I'll definitely try my best."

Sang nodded and waved before leaving so they could start with the rehearsal.

After rehearsal, Sang waited for Ungjae at the entrance of the theatre. They greeted each other and left the building together.

"How's everything?" Sang asked.

"Ah, pretty stressful, but I'm glad I caught up on everything I had missed. For several of my classes, my final will be the play, so it should be simple enough. I made most of the score anyway. What about you?"

Sang sighed. "I feel you. This is my first big role, and I everyone's pressuring me to do well, I'm nervous. Not just about my grade, but the show going well.

"It will, don't worry," Ungjae reassured. "You did well today." Once they reached the entrance of the campus, Ungjae turned to him. "I guess I'll see you later."

"Um, actually, I'll walk with you home. Since we haven't seen each other in a while."

Ungjae smiled wide, without even noticing. He couldn't hide his excitement. "Okay, let's go."

While walking, Ungjae started to talk about his classes and projects he had made, as well as his plans for the next school year. Sang couldn't help but think how cute Ungjae looked when he talked about music, he seemed so passionate about it.

Sang had such a strong urge to hold Ungjae's hand. Or hug him. Or kiss his cheek.

Sang blushed.  _Nononononononono_ _these thoughts aren't allowed._

Ungjae looked up. "Are you listening?" He laughed

"Ah, yeah."

"Good, anyways. I think we can get cheap tickets to Tokyo if we leave the first day of Spring break. We can stay for a week. How does that sound? I can book the hotel tonight."

"Wow, you really have everything prepared, huh?"

Ungjae laughed. "Yeah, I'm really excited about this trip. I just want everything to go well."

Soon enough, they reached Ungjae's apartment. Sang handed Ungjae a check before leaving. "I don't know how much anything costs, but this should cover my share. And don't think about giving it back to me okay. Bye." He turned around and left quickly before Ungjae even had a chance to react.

Once Ungjae went inside, he started laughing. "What was with that? Ah. He's so cute."

***

The play was held the final night of the school. While everyone was making preparations, Ungjae snuck his way into the dressing room to find Sang. He passed by all the actors, trying to go unnoticed, until he finally found his friend, who seemed to be meditating or something. Ungjae put a hand on his shoulder softly, trying not to startle him.

"Ungjae." Sang looked up at him. "What are you doing, you shouldn't be here." Sang motioned as if trying to shoo him away, but the smile on his face let Ungjae know he wanted him to stay for a bit.

"I just came to say good luck. You've practiced really hard, so I know you'll do great."

"Thank you. Good luck to you too."

"Oh, I already know I'm gonna do fine," Ungjae said, to which they both laughed. "But really, thank you. See ya." Ungjae turned to leave, but Sang called for him to wait.

"Since we're leaving to go to Japan tomorrow, umm... do you have all your stuff packed? Because then you could just come sleep over at my place and then we could leave from there in the morning? I thought maybe it would be more efficient..."

It wouldn't have been any less efficient if they had just met at the airport, but Sang really wanted Ungjae to come over. He hadn't seen him in such a long time, he wanted to spend as much time with him as possible. Well, that was his excuse anyway.

"Sure, I'll come over. Sounds like a plan." Ungjae smiled and gave him a thumbs up before leaving.

Sang closed his eyes. Why was he so nervous? Not because of the play... Why did he even invite Ungjae over like that?

***

Ungjae knocked on Sang's door, which was opened immediately.

"Hi! Ungjae! I just finished cleaning up," Sang welcomed his friend inside.

The younger took his shoes off and came in. "Ah, good job on the show! You did amazing."

"You really think so?" Sang scratched his head nervously.

"Yes, of course. I'm sure people will be calling you soon to act in dramas and movies."

"Ah, stop it," Sang hit Ungjae's arm playfully. "Come, follow me. You can sleep in my room tonight."

"Oh... where will you sleep?"

"On the couch, of course. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. It's comfortable."

Ungjae looked at the bed and sat on it. "It's big enough for both of us. You don't have to risk your sleep for my sake."

"W-what?"

"I don't mind sharing," Ungjae smiled. Even though he tried to play cool, Sang noticed Ungjae's face turn slightly pink.

 _Is... he flirting with me?_   _NONONONO_ _WHY WOULD HE THAT'S RIDICULOUS_

Sang sighed. "Okay, that's cool. But don't wake me up in the middle of the night, I'm grumpy when I'm sleepy."

"Okie doke," Ungjae smiled and stood. "I'll just take a shower if that's fine."

"Yeah, of course. I'll fix us something to eat."

After dinner, the two sleepy kids decided it was time for bed so they could catch the plane on time.

It felt awkward to them to walk into the same room and crawl into the same bed, but it was much worse when they realised they were facing each other.

"Oh... hi," Ungjae said nervously.

"Hi," Sang laughed.

"Thank you for your hospitality," Ungjae looked away.

"Ungjae, you don't need to thank me for every little thing."

"How will you know if I appreciate everything you do for me?"

Sang smiled. "It's okay, we're friends. No sorry, no thank you."

Ungjae laughed. "Okay, okay. Good night."

"Good night." Sang leaned over to kiss Ungjae on the forehead then quickly turned around so he wasn't facing him.

Ungjae brought the covers over his face in embarrassment, even though it was too dark to see he was blushing.

The next morning, Sang woke up to notice Ungjae hugging him tightly, his head on his chest, sleeping peacefully.

"Ungjae, give my heart a break, will you?"

Sang wished he could watch Ungjae sleep for a bit, but he knew they had to leave so they could catch the plane. He softly shook his shoulder. "Ungjae, wake up. We have to go."

Ungjae opened his eyes slowly, then sat up quickly noticing that he was holding Sang. "Oh, I'm sorry, it's a habit..."

Sang smiled. "That's cute."

Ungjae turned away quickly. "I'm gonna get dressed so we can leave quickly." He took his clothes and quickly walked to the bathroom to hide.

***

The flight was only a little over two hours, but they both slept the whole way. By the time they reached their hotel, they were well rested. They shared a room but it had two beds, so the awkwardness from the previous night wouldn't have to be repeated.

They didn't really bother with unpacking. They grabbed some money and were out the door, ready to explore. They went to eat some bacon and toast, since breakfast was offered for free at that hotel.

"So, a bus will pick us up from here and take us to the Tokyo Tower, where we'll start our tour," Ungjae said while reading from his phone.

"When will the bus arrive?" Sang asked

"Around 8:15. We should wait out now." Sang and Ungjae stood to go outside.

After the bus picked them up, there were several stops at multiple hotels before they finally reached their destination 45 minutes later, where the tour would begin. They started by going up the Tokyo Tower to enjoy the view of the city.

As they went higher in the elevator, Ungjae became nervous. "This is actually a little scary for me," he said, shaking.

Sang smiled at him and took his hand. "Don't worry, I'm here with you. It'll be fine."

When Sang looked away, Ungjae bit his lip and closed his eyes. A little too excited, he interlaced his fingers with Sang's and slightly tightened his grip.

Once they reached the top, they looked over the view of the city in awe, hardly hearing a word the guide was saying. She was speaking in English anyway, too much for them to understand.

"Amazing..." Ungjae stared at the view of the city. "Imagine how it would look at night!"

"Maybe we could come back some other time to check it out," Sang said.

After a while, the group went back down the elevator to the ground. Even so, Ungjae wouldn't let go of Sang's hand.

"Are you okay?" Sang asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It was really cool, right?"

Sang nodded, wondering why Ungjae was still holding his hand. But he couldn't bring himself to let it go... not until their next stop, when they reached the Imperial Palace, where they Emperor's family resides.

"We're in the presence of royalty," Ungjae said, feeling honored.

They were allowed to take pictures, and the two decided to take as many of them while they could. They took turns taking pictures of each other in front of the building as well as taking selfies together, then headed off to another location.

"It would have been cool to meet the emperor himself," Sang remarked, but Ungjae quickly shook his head. "I'd be extremely embarrassed."

Sang laughed. "Why are you suddenly so shy?" Ungjae only blushed and looked away.

They visited a Buddhist temple before visiting a popular shopping area called Nakamise. At that time they were able to buy traditional snacks. The two would share their snacks so they could save money, feeding each other everything, from kibi dango to sweet potato ice cream. One of the tourists who were on the trip with them became very suspicious, asking them if they were dating, to which they quickly denied. Not so much that they didn't want others to think so but because it made them too nervous. But the way Ungjae would feed Sang the fried mochi or the way Sang would wipe the crumbs from Ungjae's mouth, it looked too much like the typical drama.

After Nakamise, they visited Akihabara, the electric district; then Ueno, famous for their parks and zoo as well as other museums. They also visited a market there, where the two boys bought a few things to take home with them.

The tour concluded at three and a half hours, releasing everyone at the bus station. Already prepared, Ungjae led Sang to a restaurant that he had read about that wasn't very far from the stop.

"I think this is it."

Once they got into the restaurant and were seated, they looked through the menu. Ungjae ordered katsudon and Sang ordered unagi. While waiting for their meal, Ungjae discussed what all he planned for the trip.

"I don't want to do so much that we get burnt out, but I still have a lot planned. I thought maybe we could go to Akihabara today and shop around. Then we could go to Ueno tomorrow and visit the park and the zoo. Then the day after-"

"Hey, Ungjae."

Ungjae looked up. "Huh?"

"Let's just enjoy our lunch for now. We can talk about this at the hotel."

Ungjae laughed, somewhat embarrassed, and nodded. "Okay."

After they received their food, they ate in silence. Then, Ungjae spoke up, "That looks interesting. Isn't that eel?"

Sang nodded. "It's really good, you want to try?" Using his spoon, he scooped a piece of the fish with some rice and fed it to Ungjae. Immediately, the younger giggled, surprised by the texture and flavor.

"Ah, that's delicious!" He nodded.

"Can I try yours?"

"Sure, it's just pork and rice though."

"Pork and rice is amazing, gimme some."

Ungjae fed Sang a piece of pork and rice and after, licked his chopsticks.

"What..."

Ungjae looked at Sang's dumbfounded expression. "What's wrong?" He continued eating.

"Why did you do that...???"

"What? Oh. I always do that, I didn't even notice." Ungjae laughed and continued eating his food.

Sang sighed, blushing a little. That was so weird to him, but it was normal for his friend so he shouldn't be bothered by it.

***

After lunch, Sang and Ungjae decided to head to the hotel. After the tour and all the food, they were stuffed and ready to drop. They took a bus to the hotel and immediately fell on their beds when they reached their room.

"I'm sooo tired..." Sang said sleepily.

Ungjae looked at the watch. "Maybe we can rest for an hour or two before we head out again?"

Sang yawned. "Sounds like a plan."

Ungjae set an alarm. "Okay, try not to sleep through it." But Sang was already knocked out.

They were so tired they ended up waking three hours later, but it didn't push their plans back any. After freshening up, they headed back out and went to Akihabara to window shop. They didn't really need anything, but they wanted to grasp the atmosphere.

They decided to go to Yodobashi, an electronics superstore with restaurants and such included. After looking around, amazed by the range in selection, they found a golf store with a driving range, and decided to practice swinging for fun.

They weren't very good at it, and not a single ball went into the holes. After numerous tries, they couldn't stop laughing, making too much noise. Everyone started to look at them irritated, and they decided to leave, still laughing.

They stopped by an arcade for a while to play games together. At one point, Ungjae was playing a zombie apocolyse game and Sang was nearby, playing a racing game.

Ungjae wasn't very good at shooting and ended up losing quickly. Disappointed, he looked around for something else to play. A crane machine caught his eye, as he saw a stuffed elephant toy he thought was really cute and wanted to win. He decided to play, but with his luck he didn't think he could get it.

He walked over to the crane and inserted a few coins. He dropped the crane, but it wouldn't grasp the toy. So he tried again, with no luck.

Sang, consumed with his game, began to bounce excitedly in his seat. "I won, Ungjae, I got first place-" He noticed Ungjae wasn't next to him anymore. He stood up and looked around at all the people there, trying to find his friend when he spotted him at the crane machine. He looked so determined yet disappointed, and Sang couldn't help it but he found it so cute how frustrated he was. He walked slowly towards Ungjae, seeing him lose again, noticing the toy he was aiming for.

Ungjae dug into his pocket searching for another coin, determined to get the stuffed animal. Quietly walking over, Sang came up behind him and inserted some money himself, then wrapped his arms around Ungjae, putting his right hand over his on the control, his left on the younger's waist.

"Here, let me help you out."

Ungjae held his breath and glanced at Sang, whose attention was focused on the game. He swallowed nervously and looked ahead of him, seeing Sang's hand guiding his on the joystick. He dropped the crane, grabbing the elephant toy, and it picked it up and dropped it through the hole.

"There you go, good job!" Sang let go and walked away.

He hadn't noticed how red Ungjae's face had become. The boy closed his eyes and let go of his breath, shaking slightly. Did that really just happen?

Sang noticed that Ungjae wasn't following him and turned around to see him still at the crane machine. With a laugh, he called out to him. "Hey, Na Ungjae! Come on, let's go!"

Ungjae looked over and nodded, then grabbed the toy and they left the arcade.

While walking outside and down the sidewalk, Ungjae finally spoke up. "Uh, thank you. For the toy."

Sang smiled at him. "You're welcome. You wanna go get something to eat?"

Ungjae nodded, and they looked around for a restaurant to go to.

***

Returning at the hotel, Ungjae went to the couch and sit down, stretching. "Ah, today was so much fun!"

Sang went to sit on the opposite side of the couch, not noticing how he was smiling at his friend, the way he held his elephant toy was so adorable.

"Yeah, it was. What's on the agenda for tomorrow?"

Ungjae yawned. "Tomorrow, we're going to Ueno and I thought we could go to the zoo and have a picnic in the park after. Then we can go to Ameya Yokocho Market in the evening and shop around and eat a lot of street food."

"We're doing a lot of eating on this trip, I'm gonna gain so much weight," Sang laughed.

Ungjae shrugged. "We have to experience as much as we can with all our senses, ya know."

Sang stood and nodded. "Well, I'm gonna go take a shower real quick."

As quick as he was, Ungjae couldn't wait up on him and had fallen asleep on the couch, holding on to his toy tightly. Sang came out to tell Ungjae the bathroom was free to see Ungjae peacefully sleeping. He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Can he stop being so cute?" He walked over to Ungjae, not wanting to wake him up from his peaceful sleep, but he had to get him to his bed. He shook him lightly. "Ungjae, get up."

Ungjae's eyes fluttered open and he looked confused for a sec.

"Ungjae, you should sleep in your bed instead."

The younger looked at Sang for a moment and then nodded, without saying anything, and stood up. Sang led him to his bed and even helped tuck him in like a child.

"Good night, Ungjae."

"Good night..." he sleepily replied.

***

The next morning, they didn't have anything planned and decided to stay in for a while before heading out. After eating breakfast, Ungjae took a shower while Sang lay and stared at the TV, not understanding anything happening on the show he was watching.

Ungjae came out of the shower, his hair still slightly wet and a towel around his neck. "What you watching?"

"Gaki no Tsukai." Sang sat up so Ungjae could sit with him and tried helping him towel dry his hair, and for some reason it caused Ungjae to laugh.

"You don't have to," Ungjae said, but Sang kept on anyways, then fixed his hair.

"There you go." He smiled. "When are we going out?"

"Around ten. Well, we could head out now if you'd like."

"Sure, let's go."

After spending their time at the zoo, Ungjae and Sang relaxed in the midst of the trees. It was the time of year when the cherry blossoms were blooming, and everything was just beautiful and peaceful.

Sang sat back and leaned on a tree while sipping a can of coffee, watching the younger eat and look around. Ungjae was completely oblivious to Sang's staring, too consumed in the environment.

_He's so innocent..._

Sang sighed. He really liked Ungjae... but he kept remembering his conversation with Jeup. Was it really right to like his... ex's ex? Does Ungjae still have feelings for Taeho? And he even said he wasn't really looking forward to another relationship... Sang didn't necessarily feel the need to have someone just to fill in an empty feeling in himself, but being around Ungjae made him feel different... Being away from him was lonely. Did he truly like Ungjae or did he just miss having a boyfriend?

He thought back to the past few weeks, how much he missed being away from Ungjae... Maybe he did like him. He just wished he could protect him and do whatever he could to make him happy.

But... he could do that as his friend, right? There was no need to take things further.

Well, that's what Sang tried to reason with himself, but his heart felt different. He kept telling himself to slow down, he shouldn't jump into a relationship so soon. But Ungjae... being around Ungjae, he just wanted him.

Ungjae finished eating and packed everything back into his bag. "Shall we go now?"

Ungjae's smile was too much, Sang thought his heart would explode. "Let's stay for a while." He motioned for Ungjae to sit beside him.

Ungjae lay his head on Sang's shoulder and Sang wrapped his arm around him, and for a second neither of them noticed how it would look. It felt so natural.

"How was your lunch?" Ungjae spoke up, slightly blushing.

"It was delicious." Sang smiled and ruffled Ungjae's hair.

They sat in silence, soaking in the beauty of the park, before going to the market.

***

After spending the evening walking around and stuffing their faces off, they returned to the hotel. As tired as they were, they didn't want to go to sleep right away. They decided to stay up and watch a movie, although there weren't any subtitles.

Sang looked at Ungjae, who was slowly sipping some juice as he focused the film. Sang didn't want to bring it up, but he needed a solid answer.

"Ungjae?"

"Hmm?" He looked at Sang and smiled.

"Ungjae... do you still think of Taeho?"

Ungjae was taken aback by the question. "Well... sometimes I wonder how he's doing, I won't lie. After we broke up, we never talked. But I still wonder how he's doing I guess. Out of curiosity."

"So... do you still... have feelings for him?"

Ungjae laughed. "I... no, actually. I don't feel anything for him at all. It's weird... Before, I thought I would die without him. I'm still a little hurt of course... but I don't have any feelings for him. I think I'm better off now that I think about it. I don't feel suffocated, I'm free to be myself."

Sang smiled, and unconsciously began to run his fingers through Ungjae's hair. "I'm glad to hear that."

Ungjae bit his lip. "What about you?"

Sang smiled. "Well, I think Taeho taught me some things about my self that I needed to learn. I don't have feelings for him, but I'm grateful for the time we had together."

"Wow, you seem so positive about everything," Ungjae remarked, to which Sang shrugged. Although what he said was true, he was obviously hurt, but he didn't think about that anymore. He couldn't, he was always so worried about Ungjae. Ever since they first met, he didn't want to show his pain, he just wanted to help Ungjae to heal.

The two stared at each other silently. It was too awkward, talking about Taeho again suddenly, but they were glad they could clear up any misunderstandings. However, they were both thinking the same but wouldn't dare say it aloud. As sour as it was, they were glad how things turned out in the end. After all, how else would they have met each other?

Sang continued running his fingers through Ungjae's hair, to which the younger grabbed his hand leaned into it, soaking in the warmth. Sang thought to when they first met, to when Ungjae seemed broken. He's so fragile... had he fully recovered? He wished he'd never have to see him that way again.

Sang attempted to speak but a loud sound from the movie startled them.

"I think I'll head to bed now. Good night," Ungjae let go of Sang and left quickly. Once he reached his bed, he grabbed his stuffed elephant and held it tight, burying his face in the pillow.

"That was so embarrassing... why did he look at me like that..."

Sang couldn't even bring himself to go to the bedroom to sleep that night. He couldn't be in the same room as him. All this time he kept wondering, is it right to like Ungjae?

Maybe, it was okay after all. They had helped each other to heal after all. Sang liked that he was the one who could comfort him, that he could see him smile everyday.

Maybe, this feeling wasn't so wrong after all.

***

Ungjae woke up the next morning to see Sang wasn't in his bed. He walked into the living room and saw Sang, who was watching tv.

"Good morning, Ungjae." He waved and smiled, motioning for him to sit next to him. "How was your sleep?"

"Good," Ungjae scratched his head, still trying to wake up. "What's this?" He pointed at two bowls on the table before them.

"Natto. I thought we should try it once, since we're in Japan. Get the whole experience."

Ungjae frowned. He heard about the fermented soybean breakfast, how it's widely known to be foul tasting. Yet, many people ate it anyway. He might as well try.

They both picked up their bowls and took a deep breath before mixing it and taking a bite.

They chewed it for a while and looked at each other with disgust on their face and laughed.

"That's horrible," Sang shook his head.

"Who even invented this?" Ungjae said.

They continued to eat it anyways, since they paid for it. After, they gulped down some green tea to mask the flavor.

After breakfast, they stayed at the hotel and watched some tv. Ungjae went to do some laundry and Sang cleaned up around the hotel room, making their beds, cleaning the bathroom. After they both were done, they headed out to go shopping at Shibuya109.

They didn't plan to shop too much, just look around and have a good time. They ended up buying a few pieces of clothing, complimenting each other on how good they would look in it.

After shopping for a bit, they returned to the hotel to change into their new clothes. They decided to go out to a club and experience some nightlife, and so they chose to go to Genius.

They were a little nervous, not really nightlife people themselves, but they wanted to get the most out of their trip. When they got in, the ordered their drinks and looked around.

"It's kinda loud, imagine how the dancefloor is like," Sang looked around curiously.

"It'll be fun, I'm sure." Ungjae didn't really know what to say.

"You like to dance, right? You're a musician after all."

"Yeah, of course!"

After they finished their drinks, they made their way down to the dancefloor and enjoy themselves a bit. It was a crowded but they made their way in so they could shake away all the stress from school.

Ungjae, usually self conscious, danced his heart out, not caring about how anyone would say he looked. He just wanted to make the most out of his time there. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so free, so alive, so... himself. When he was with Sang, he felt like he could be himself, not worrying if something he did would drive him away, knowing that Sang would stick with him anyway.

Suddenly, a girl tapped on Ungjae's shoulder and said something, but the music was too loud. "I can't hear you!" He yelled. The girl yelled out again but she was speaking Japanese. "I'm sorry, I can't understand you!"

"I think you're cute! You wanna dance?" she yelled out in English.

"Oh, sure!" Ungjae nodded and they danced together. It was completely innocent, and Ungjae was happy dancing with anyone.

Sang, however, felt a little down. He knew the girl was interested in him, and he couldn't help but feel jealous... even though there wasn't really any good reason for him to get upset, they were only dancing.

Well he didn't need a 'good reason.'

"I'm sorry, he's with me."

The girl looked up at Sang. "Oh, are you two... I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She waved her hands in embarrassment and walked away.

"What was that about?" Ungjae asked.

Sang sighed. "I thought we were dancing together?"

"I thought we were just having a good time?"

Sang sighed. "I'm sorry, I just got jealous I guess.."

Ungjae rose his eyebrow. "Jealous?"

"I just wanted it to be the two of us..." Sang shrugged. "I don't know, I just didn't... never mind."

Sang was about to walk away, embarrassed, but Ungjae grabbed his wrist. "Sang..."

Sang looked at Ungjae. "Huh?"

"It's okay, we can still dance, right?" He pulled Sang back and started dancing again, trying to cheer Sang up.

Looking at Ungjae did cheer him up. He looked so happy and pure... he couldn't help but laugh. He made him feel so happy... His smile gave him so much energy, so much happiness.

Sang couldn't control himself, and he grabbed Ungjae by the waist and leaned in so their foreheads were touching, catching Ungjae off guard.

"Why are you so cute..." he said quietly, so he wouldn't hear.

They suddenly seemed to forget where they were, that there were other people there. What would they think of them? It didn't matter.

Sang cupped Ungjae's face in his hands and gazed into his eyes, and the poor boy froze.

"Can I just have you to myself tonight?"

Ungjae suddenly snapped out of the trance and pulled away. He suddenly became aware of all the people around him again, and it made him uncomfortable. He dragged Sang with him back off the dance floor.

"What's wrong, Ungjae?"

He looked nervous initially, and Sang began to regret his actions, but then he smiled. "Um, if we go now, we could go back to the Tokyo Tower and see the view in the dark. You wanna go?"

Sang was a little confused but Ungjae seemed really excited so he agreed. "Sure, why not?"

***

They reached it just thirty minutes before closing. That particular day, there weren't a lot of people there. Ungjae and Sang went up in the elevator, quietly, alone. Then Ungjae just took Sang's hand and smiled, thinking of a couple days before, grateful that it was a little dark so Sang wouldn't see his face flush.

Sang remembered that time before, he suggested they return one night to see the view. He didn't understand why Ungjae picked that time, but Ungjae seemed so excited he wouldn't question it.

Once they reached the top, they walked over to a window and looked at the view.

"It's so beautiful... different from the daytime..." Ungjae looked in awe.

"Mhmm." Sang was only looking at Ungjae.

Ungjae looked at Sang and opened his mouth to say something, but the words felt stuck in his throat. Was it right to say it? He unconscisouly tightened his grip on Sang's hand.

Sang leaned in closer to Ungjae. "What? Are you okay? What is it?"

"I... like you..."

It didn't feel right to him, the timing, the place, Ungjae felt like maybe he messed up. Seeing Sang's reaction changed his mind, though. He grinned so wide and closed his eyes, he wanted to hug Ungjae but he thought that was too much.

"I like you too." He caressed his face. "I like you a lot, Na Ungjae."

Before Sang could remove his hand, Ungjae caught it and leaned into it, melting at his touch, absorbing his warmth. They both smiled at each other, they felt as if they had been holding their breaths for a long time and finally let go.

"Remember... a few months ago, you told me an analogy. About a puzzle?"

Sang nodded. "Yeah?"

"I feel like we fit together... like puzzle pieces."

Sang laughed. He couldn't believe Ungjae even remembered that analogy, considering his mood that day. Ungjae began to feel insecure. "What? Did I say something wrong?"

"No, Ungjae, you didn't say anything wrong." Sang leaned towards him so their foreheads would meet. "I feel the same... you complete me."

Sang thought his heartbeat was so loud, he was afraid Ungjae would hear. He noticed Ungjae's hands were shaking and that he was holding his breath, and they wouldn't stop staring at each other.

"Sang..." Ungjae whispered softly.

Then they kissed.

It was so sweet and tender, so soft enough that Ungjae was afraid he would melt. When they pulled away, he couldn't help but cover his face, he was so shy.

"Why are you so cute?" Sang pulled Ungjae into a hug and Ungjae sighed from embarrassment.

Still embracing each other, they looked out the window, looking at the view again.

"Maybe we should go back to the hotel now." Ungjae spoke up.

"Hmm... yeah, let's go."

***

Ungjae lay in bed trying to sleep while Sang was in the shower. His whole body was hot from embarrassment, he didn't know how to face Sang anymore. Even if he felt like his skin was on fire he covered himself with the blankets, wanting to hide from the world. He tried to sleep so he wouldn't have to see him, he was so unprepared, but his nervousness kept him awake.

Suddenly, he heard the bathroom door open. He held tightly onto his elephant toy and faced away from the direction of the bathroom so he could act sleep.

A few minutes later, Sang came and sat on the side of the bed. "Ungjae, I know you aren't sleep."

Ungjae sighed and looked at Sang. "Hi."

"Hi." Sang smiled.

Ungjae sat up and shrugged, not knowing what to say.

"Um... so..." Sang cleared his throat, suddenly he was speechless. He thought he was ready but he became nervous talking. "I uh... just wanted to make something clear?"

"Okay," Ungjae nodded.

"Um... are we... do you... huh. So like, are we a.. thing now?"

Ungjae laughed at his expressions. "Even you can blush, huh?"

Sang covered his cheeks with his hands. "Ungjae..."

He laughed. "Hm... do you really like me?"

"Yeah, I do, why would I lie?"

Ungjae bit his lip. "This isn't just... on the rebound...kinda thing?" He was scared but he didn't know how to say it. What if Sang didn't truly like him? What if he had only become Taeho's replacement?

Sang, understanding right away, shook his head with a smile. "It's nothing like that... Na Ungjae, I never met someone like you, who is so passionate for music, so caring to your friends... You make me so happy."

Ungjae smiled and hugged him. "Then sure, why not? We can be a 'thing.'"

Sang smiled. "Okay." After a few moments, he bit his lip and said," Can I sleep in your bed tonight?"

Ungjae got hot all over again. "Why? That's so embarrassing..."

"You didn't think it was embarrassing a few nights ago, you even suggested it!" Sang teased.

"Huhh fine. Come on." Ungjae scooted over so there was space for Sang to lay down. Although he acted annoyed, he was actually quite elated, but he was also very embarrassed.

Sang ran his hand through Ungjae's hair and Ungjae continued to embrace Sang, still absorbing the fact that they liked each other, it was all real.

"Good night, Ungjae."

"Good night."

Sang motioned to kiss Ungjae, but he shoved the elephant toy in between them, catching Sang off guard.

Sang frowned playfully and pulled the toy away. "Mr. elephant, only Ungjae gets my kisses not you."

Ungjae giggled and Sang pulled him over to kiss him. Ungjae buried his face in his pillow, laughing quietly, completely embarrassed.  _I can't believe he just said that..._

***

A few weeks after the trip to Tokyo, after the new school year began, Sang and Ungjae seemed to grow even closer, if that was even possible. As inseparable as they seemed, of course, even couples need their time away sometimes, with themselves or their friends. So Sang one day went out to hang out with his friends. He felt a little bad since Ungjae didn't seem to have many friends of his own and called him and decided to invite him anyway, but Ungjae refused to intrude on their time together. "I'll be fine, really. Being alone isn't all bad."

"Okay, but you should really get out more."

Ungjae nodded. "Okay. But today, I'll just stay in."

"Okay then. I'll text you the address in case you change your mind."

When Sang reached Jeup's house, Jeup and Jian greeted him at the door and immediately groaned seeing that he came alone.

"Why didn't you bring him? I was looking forward to meeting him," Jian walked away.

"He refused to come. Is that the only reason you guys invited me?"

Jeup laid on his couch. "No, but we were looking forward to it. We'll get him over next time."

"Why do you want to meet him so bad?"

"You're always with him, it's like you've forgotten about us. We want to know what we're missing out on." Jeup remarked. "Besides, he should become friends with us too, right?"

Sang walked into the kitchen and grabbed a beer before walking into the living room. "You guys will meet him, okay? Don't worry about it."

Even so, Sang felt bad that Ungjae didn't come with him. He didn't like him being alone. He wished Ungjae would go out more and make more friends as well, but he always kept to himself.

They all sat together on the couch, and even though they were supposed to be playing video games, Jian and Jeup didn't really care anymore, they just wanted to interrogate Sang.

"I thought you guys were so attached, I was sure he would come." Jian sighed.

"Well, everyone needs their independence. Besides, I would seem sprung?"

"You are sprung," Jeup said to Sang, who frowned at him, but he couldn't really deny it. He was so whipped for Ungjae. Just thought of him made him melt.

"You guys living together yet?" Jian asked, and Sang choked.

"Uh, no? It's too early for that?"

"How far did you guys get?" Jeup asked, and Sang choked again.

"Guys, what the hell? That's none of your business?"

His friends laughed at his embarrassment. Jeup smiled at his friend. "We're only teasing you, calm down."

Sang sighed. "Please, stop, this makes me nervous..."

"Aw, cute," Jian laughed.

Then they heard a knock on the door.

"Huh? Did you guys invite anyone else over?" Jeup stood up to get the door. He opened it. "Hello..."

"Hi... Um, I'm Ungjae. You're Jeup, right?"

Jeup smiled wide and looked back at his friends. "Hey, come on in, we were just talking about you!

"Looks like someone will be joining us today." Jeup announced, Ungjae following behind him shyly.

"Ungjae," Sang stood up, surprised. "You came." He smiled and walked over to him to give him a hug.

"Yeah, I didn't really have anything better to do, so why not? I really should try getting out more often..."

"We're glad, we've been waiting to meet you." Jian greeted him and introduced himself.

"Ah, would you like anything to drink?" Jeup asked, to which Ungjae politely declined.

"Um, I brought some cupcakes. I was having trouble thinking of a gift, I hope these are fine. They're not much but..." Ungjae held out the container of cakes to Jeup.

"Ah, you didn't have to Ungjae." Jeup smiled as he received the gift.

"Well, that's Ungjae for you. Very giving," Sang smiled at his boyfriend, making him blush.

Ungjae and Sang sat next to each other on the couch as Jian and Sang pulled up two chairs so they could somewhat face them.

"So, Ungjae. Uh, you go to our school, right?" Jian asked. "What's your major?"

"I'm majoring in music engineering. I want to become a producer one day." Ungjae nodded slightly, a little nervous.

Sang looked at everyone. "Oh, come on guys, loosen up! Just a moment ago, you two were not so shy."

"Well, we have to make a good impression on the guest," Jeup laughed nervously.

Ungjae spoke up, "I'm sorry if I'm intruding... maybe I shouldn't have come." Ungjae stood but Sang tugged his shirt so he could sit back down and looked him in the eye. "No, babe, please stay, don't be shy. It's okay."

Jian and Jeup couldn't help it, they looked at each other and immediately went "Awww" at their interaction. Ungjae blushed, covering his face and Sang couldn't help but to hug him, his reaction was so adorable.

"Guys, don't embarrass him," Sang playfully frowned at the other two.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Ungjae laughed. "We're here to play games right? Let's play."

Jeup changed his mind from playing video games and decided it would be better to play cards or board games, they seemed more interactive and fun when it came to meeting new people. During a game of Uno, Ungjae got to a point where he had basically a deck of cards in his hand, so Sang decided to help him out. He became so consumed in helping him win, he hardly focused on his own hand.

"Hey, this is cheating," Jeup protested, but Jian tapped him and shook his head.

"Don't worry about it, look how cute they are," he pointed towards them.

He wasn't lying, they were awfully adorable. Even in just a game of Uno, they could see Sang's care for Ungjae, and the appreciation and adoration in Ungjae's eyes. It was too much to handle.

After a couple hours of this, Jeup offered to order pizza but Ungjae decided it was his cue to leave. "I live a little far, so I think I'll get going before it's dark."

"Oh, ok." Jeup and Jian stood to show Ungjae out the door.

"I'll walk with you," Sang stood to leave as well.

"It was nice meeting you, Ungjae. We should all hang out again sometime," Jian smiled and shook his hand.

"Thank you so much, today was a lot of fun" Ungjae bowed to them.

"No need to be so formal," Jeup said. "We're all friends here."

***

Sang and Ungjae walked in silence, hand in hand, enjoying the soft breeze and the orange sky.

Finally, Ungjae spoke up. "Your friends are pretty cool."

Sang laughed. "They're pretty rotten, but I'm glad you like them."

"Hmm... I know I said I wanted to get home, but I'm kinda in the mood to eat out now." He looked at Sang and laughed. "I want beef."

"Okay, let's go then."

They arrived at a restaurant close by and were seated, waiting for someone to take their order as they looked through the menu.

"Hmm... should we get bulgogi? Or shabu-shabu?" Ungjae asked.

"Ahh, we should have tried the shabu shabu in japan," Sang frowned.

"Yeah, we should have," Ungjae sighed. "Let's get some then."

Suddenly, they heard a familiar voice. "Hello, can I take your order?"

The two looked up and they all gasped.

"Tae..ho?"

They all stared at each other in silence. Ungjae looked away, it was obvious he was trying to hide any pain that was beginning to flood him. Sang held his hand and looked at him reassuringly.

Taeho, a bit embarrassed and confused, spoke up, "Wow... Um, it's been a while... How have you two been?"

"We're fine," Sang said, a little danger in his voice. He looked at Ungjae, nodding to tell him to speak up. He didn't want Ungjae to be hurt seeing Taeho. He didn't want him to show any vulnerability. Besides the fact that it made him upset seeing Ungjae in pain, he felt a little selfish as well, to think Ungjae maybe still had feelings for Taeho upon seeing him.

Ungjae looked at Taeho and faked a smile. "Yeah, we're great."

"Are you two... dating?"

"Yeah, we are." Sang spoke up, and glared at Taeho. He began to get a little restless and felt nauseous.

Fidgeting, Taeho took a deep breath. He couldn't just walk away from it. This time, he refused to.

"I don't think I got to apologize properly. I was really selfish, and I feel bad that I had to put you two through this. Please forgive me?"

Sang and Ungjae looked at each other, thinking of how to respond, and before Sang could say anything, Ungjae spoke up, "Of course we'll forgive you, Taeho."

Ungjae looked at Sang, trying to show him it was okay, but Sang shook his head. "I can't believe this." He stood and walked out.

"S-Sang! Wait!" Ungjae called out but he didn't even look back.

Ungjae looked back at Taeho. "I'm so sorry, he's still upset."

Taeho sighed and nodded. "I understand... he has a right to be. Listen, it's better that you guys are together. It's like you're made for each other. I always thought you two would like each other... it's just a shame you had to meet the way you did. I'm really sorry."

"Taeho," Ungjae said. "Don't keep beating yourself up about it. We all learned something from it. It's the past, there's nothing we can do about it. It's over."

Taeho nodded. "You're right," he laughed nervously. "Thank you." Then he took a deep breath. "You should probably go catch up with your.... boyfriend now."

Ungjae nodded before running out of the restaurant.

***

Ungjae ran outside to see Sang waiting outside near the entrance.

"Sang, listen, I'm really sorry..."

Sang shook his head. "There's nothing to apologize for. Let's just go."

"I know you're mad. Because I forgave him."

"I'm not mad..."

Ungjae sighed. "I was upset at first when I saw him. All the things I thought I had gotten over came rushing back to me. But it doesn't matter. I don't like him anymore. I realized... there's no point in mourning that relationship when I have something so much better with you. It's the past. We should just let it go. I didn't forgive him because of him, I did it for us."

Sang, originally full of doubt, felt warm at Ungjae's words. "Yeah, I... guess you're right." As long as Ungjae was happy, so was he. He kissed him on the forehead and hugged him. With that, Ungjae felt all his pain and worries melt away. 

"Before, I didn't understand how a relationship is supposed to be. I did everything for Taeho, so that he was happy without thinking of myself, to the point where I forgot I had my own wants and needs, hobbies and passions... He was all I thought was important. It was only him. But when I'm with you, I feel like... I can be myself. Or, more than myself. You helped me to feel like, not only am I important to someone, but I can become a better person for you... without having to give myself up. There's not just me or you, it's us, together."

Ungjae paused then shook his head. "That didn't make any sense, never mind."

 Sang chuckled. "No it does, Ungjae. I understand. This is how it's supposed to be...

"Sorry, I walked out before we could order... Do you still want to eat?"

"No, it's okay. Let's go."

***

Finally, they reached his apartment.

"Thank you for today... It was fun." Ungjae smiled and looked down shyly.

"No problem, I had fun too."

They kissed goodnight and Ungjae unlocked the door, turning around to see Sang was still standing behind them.

"You're still here?"

"I had to make sure you get in safely."

"Well, I'm in." Ungjae posed as if he made an accomplishment, and they laughed.

"Well... good night."

"Wait, Sang."

"Hmm?"

Ungjae leaned onto the doorway. "Umm... would you like to come in?"

"Well, I don't want to get home too late-"

"No, I mean," Ungjae looked down, a little embarrassed. "Would you like to stay the night?"

Sang was a little shocked. "Oh."

Immediately regretting it, Ungjae shook his head. "Never mind, good night," He almost closed the door but Sang stopped him.

"I'll stay if you want me to."

"Do you want to?"

"Well... yeah, I'd love to."

Ungjae opened the door wider so Sang could walk in. "Excuse the mess," He quickly stacked up all the scattered papers and put all the dishes into the sink, quickly trying to make the place look presentable. Sang stood patiently in the living room. He just wanted everything to look perfect.

Ungjae came back, wiping his hands on his shirt. "Umm, would like to sit down? Do you want something to drink?"

Sang walked up to him, shaking his head. "Nervous?" he asked, brushing the hair from Ungjae's face.

Ungjae nodded. "It's my first time..."

"Really?" Sang kissed his forehead and caressed his face. "You sure you want to?"

"Yeah." Ungjae closed his eyes, blushing. He felt like he stopped breathing.

"I'll take care of you," Sang said softly and kissed him.

Ungjae felt so grateful for Sang. He never felt more safe before than when he was with him.

***

Ungjae woke up the next morning before Sang, watching him sleep peacefully. Smiling, he got out of bed silently so he could fix him some breakfast, partly wanting to get away because he was so embarrassed. A little later, Sang walked into the into the kitchen happily to the smell.

"You're up," Ungjae walked over to him. "Good morning," he kissed his cheek and gave him a bear hug. "How'd you sleep?"

"Comfortable. You? How do you feel?"

Ungjae buried his face in Sang's shoulder. "A little sore but I'm fine."

"Hmm, sorry about that... What are you cooking?"

"Just egg and rice, and some bacon. It's almost done."

Ungjae sat the bowls at the table with some green tea and they began eating.

"I know it's not much, but you're always doing so much for me so..."

Sang shook his head. "It's good, thank you."

Ungjae smiled and continued eating, but he stopped again when he noticed Sang staring at him. "What?" Sang shook his head. "No, what? Why are you staring, stop!"

Sang laughed. "You're so cute, I can't help it!"

Ungjae started blushing. To be honest, he was still overwhelmed from the previous night and the fact that Sang kept embarrassing him wasn't helping.

"Aww, come here," he walked over to Ungjae and started covering his face with kisses.

"Sang, stop!" He finally pulled away and Ungjae quickly got up and took the dishes to the sink to wash. "You going home soon?"

"Hmm... is it okay if we spend the whole day here?"

"Fine by me," Ungjae answered, still cleaning the dishes. "What do you wanna do?"

"Hmm.." Sang came behind Ungjae and back hugged him.

Ungjae leaned into him. "Wanna watch a movie?"

Sang lay his head on Ungjae's neck and closed his eyes.

"Hmm"

"Oh my gosh, Sang, say something."

"I love you."

Ungjae stopped and turned to slightly to look at Sang. "What?"

"I... love you."

Ungjae paused for a second, turning to look at him. Then laughed shyly and covered his face because he was blushing, not believing what he just heard.

Sang laughed and moved Ungjae's hands from his face so he could cup his face in his hands. "I love you, and a movie sounds great."

Ungjae smiled at Sang and held him tight. "I love you, too."


End file.
